S. Korean Players Celebrated by Home Fans After Securing World Cup Spot

Seoul: Five days after securing their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, South Korean players were celebrated by home fans Tuesday at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, following a decisive 4-0 victory over Kuwait. This match concluded their qualification campaign, having already secured their World Cup position with a previous 2-0 win against Iraq.

According to Ethiopian News Agency, the match in Iraq was challenging due to the absence of South Korean fans and media, as the country is on South Korea’s travel ban list. The team quickly returned home after the match, leaving Iraq on a chartered flight shortly after the game concluded. The Kuwait match served as an opportunity for fans to welcome the players and for the team to enjoy support from their home crowd.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) organized the event as a celebration. Fans held up the national flag, Taegeukgi, and sang along to the team’s cheer song. The Red Devils, the official national team supporters group, led the cheering. A card stunt spelling “We Daehan” was performed in the 11th minute, symbolizing South Korea’s 11th consecutive World Cup appearance.

The celebration concluded with a performance by synth-pop group Glen Check as players reentered the stadium to thank supporters. However, head coach Hong Myung-bo received a mixed reception, with some booing during his introduction. Despite earlier skepticism, his leadership saw South Korea secure their World Cup qualification.

Attendance for the match was 41,911, lower than the stadium’s capacity of 64,000, and fewer than previous matches, such as the September 2024 game against Palestine, which drew 59,579 fans.